Compositie met zes hoofden van mannen en vrouwen van verschillende leeftijden 1805 - 1844

Ignace-Joseph de Claussin made this print showing six heads of men and women of different ages. It's currently located in the Rijksmuseum. The print seems to be a study of different human 'types', a popular interest in the 19th century. It's worth remembering that this was the time of the Enlightenment and the rise of scientific thinking. Thinkers were attempting to classify everything, including people, by observable characteristics such as race and physiognomy. Consider also the institutional context in which this print was created. Were these heads taken from life or from other artworks? Were they meant to be scientific observations or artistic studies? Was Claussin reproducing the biases of the time? To answer these questions, we can consult historical documents, scientific publications, and art criticism from the period. The study of art is always a study of the society that produces it.